Idaho Humane Society Feeds Furloughed Pets in Pantry Event

When the breadwinner isn't bringing home the bread, more than the human children go hungry.

On Jan. 13, the Idaho Humane Society (IHS) hosted an event they called Pet Pantry where they served 57 people and 149 pets with 3,779 pounds of pet food, treats, and litter.

More than one-third of those who utilized the pantry were furloughed federal workers who owned 49 pets; they brought home 1,130 pounds of cat and dog food.

"It’s our honor to extend a helping hand to our friends and neighbors who are federal employees who’ve been impacted by this government shutdown," said Kristine Schellhaas, communications manager at the Idaho Humane Society. "We see their dedication to our country every day and we’re proud to not only help our community members, but their pets as well."

The next Pet Food Pantry distribution will be on January 30th from 3-5 p.m., but they will stay open longer if they know people are coming and cannot make it before 5 p.m (please email pfp@idahohumanesociety.org).

All furloughed federal workers need to bring is their Federal ID/badge/recent paystub to participate; they’ll receive one month’s worth of pet food for up to four household pets!" Schellhaas continued via email. "We'd like to thank our generous donors who brought pet food into our shelter and those who ordered supplies online to help us stock our pantry!"

If you'd like to contribute to the IHS Pet Food Pantry, you can drop supplies by, donate online, or ship supplies from our Amazon wish list: https://amzn.to/2SRQxey